Buster Greens brings an energetic all-day café to the student end of George Street. The dining room is bright and contemporary, with seating downstairs as well as tables outside, so it can handle a quick coffee, a leisurely brunch or a casual lunch with equal ease. Its kitchen describes the food as contemporary New Zealand cooking with a superfood influence, but the approach is more generous than austere. Familiar café comforts sit beside vegetables, ferments, grains and vivid sauces, giving regulars room to move between a hearty plate and something lighter without leaving the same menu.
Breakfast is where the kitchen's playful combinations are clearest. The Buster's Stack layers bacon or halloumi with a hash, pecorino, onion, red pepper relish, poached egg and hollandaise, while smashed avocado arrives with halloumi, beetroot purée, feta, chilli honey and za'atar. A vegan toast pairs avocado with chilli peanut butter, tahini, jalapeños, pickled cabbage and tamari almonds. Diners after sweeter beginnings can choose Mont Blanc French toast, an apple-pie granola or a smoothie bowl, while eggs, a full breakfast and several versions of eggs Benedict keep the classic brunch ground well covered.
The savoury menu becomes broader around lunchtime rather than changing character completely. A Cauli Crunch bowl combines crisp cauliflower with a collection of fresh, pickled and creamy elements, and Turkish eggs bring yoghurt, spiced butter and bread into the mix. There is also a lamb flatbread and a fried chicken burger for diners wanting a more substantial midday meal. One of the more distinctive crossover dishes places chilli eggs and salmon on roti, showing how the kitchen uses global flavours without losing the recognisable structure of a New Zealand café menu. Fries and adaptable sides make sharing or building a larger meal straightforward.
Coffee is treated as part of the main attraction, with Supreme beans used for espresso drinks and cold brew. Matcha, freshly pressed juices and fruit-heavy smoothies offer non-coffee alternatives, while wine, beer, cider and brunch cocktails give later visits a different tempo. That range makes Buster Greens useful across several kinds of outing: an early start, a catch-up over lunch, a plant-focused meal or a celebratory brunch. The menu also gives vegetarians and vegans genuine choices rather than a single fallback, and the combination of quick counter energy and comfortable seating helps the room feel lively without limiting it to takeaway trade.
Address: 466 George Street, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
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